The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, premiering next week at the Sundance Film Festival, is the kind of heart-wrenching, emotional, and funny coming-of-age drama that isn’t afraid to be rough around the edges. It also boasts big names, from Alicia Keys as co-executive producer and composer, to American Idol alums Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks as stars.

The movie, directed by George Tillman, Jr. (Soul Food), follows two boys – sad-eyed, feisty, and ambitious 14-year-old Mister (breakout Skylan Brooks) and small, innocent 9-year-old Pete (Ethan Dizon) – abandoned by their moms and surviving within the gritty world of the Brooklyn projects. They fend for themselves, searching for food and avoiding the police.

Check out an exclusive clip from the movie, below, with an intro by Hudson, Keys, Brooks, and Tillman, Jr. in our very own Sundance EW video suite. Future Oscar buzz may kick in swiftly for Brooks and Oscar-winner Hudson, who plays against type as Mister’s heavily abusive, tattooed, prostitute drug addict mom.